Alberta Health will start offering a third dose of vaccine to a limited number of Albertans on Wednesday.
In a Monday news release, the province identified seniors in congregate care facilities and immunocompromised Albertans as the first group to qualify for the additional doses, which it said will boost immunity levels and improve protection for all those in the group.
Doses will also be available to Albertans who are travelling to a location that does not accept visitors vaccinated with Covishield/AstraZeneca or mixed doses.
Immunocompromised conditions that qualify for an additional dose at least eight weeks after a second dose include:
- Transplant recipients, including solid organ transplants and hematopoietic stem cell transplants.
- Individuals with chronic kidney disease who are receiving regular dialysis.
- Individuals in active cancer treatment (chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapies), excluding those receiving only hormonal therapy, radiation therapy or surgery.
- Individuals on certain medications for autoimmune diseases
According to the province, 118,000 people will now qualify for a third dose.
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